Funeral of the Dead
by Shadow of Midnight
Summary: 4/4 Kai or Bryan centric. Tala's funeral. One-shot. Rated for mentions of suicide and abuse


**. Here at last. Sorry for my Hiatus. School's a bitch. Even though I do like my new school a lot. MUN eats up life, I swear. **

**If I owned Beyblade, my parents would be able to **_**afford**_** my school tuition without needing a scholarship. And I wouldn't be a teenage girl who likes to memorize Shakespeare. **

"We are all here for the funeral of Tala Ivanov," the man intoned solemnly, his dark eyes gazing at the teenagers around the room. Many cultures were represented there, Russian of course, Bryan, Kai, Spencer and Ian, Japanese, Tyson and Kenny, Chinese, Rei, and American, Max. Tala had known many people, although few had known him. "We would like to commemorate the life he lead, before he left this world last week." He paused. "To do this, his friend, Bryan Kutznetzov would like to give a final address."

The pale boy stood quietly and stepped away from his friends. Spencer gave him a reassuring gaze. Ian nodded softly and Kai's eyes made contact with his for a second before he looked down again. Kai's hair hung forward into his face, the twisting gray strands covering his eyes.

Bryan walked up to the front, each step muffled by the dirt and grass on the ground. He had elected for an outdoor funeral, knowing how much Tala had loved the sky and the wind, and it was bitterly cold. Bryan was used to the cold, however. Growing up in the icy conditions of Moscow's streets made him impervious to all but the harshest winters. Like Tala. Bryan choked back a sob as his mind envisioned his friend's calm face as he stood in the snow. He reached the front and stood for a moment, framed against the gray sky before he opened his mouth and began to talk.

"Tala was the best friend I could have had." The heavily accented English words rung out with a coldness to rival the air. They sounded empty to Bryan's ears. Words wouldn't bring Tala back. Words wouldn't ease the suffering that Tala went through. He was gone. Gone forever and nothing could bring him back.

Somewhere inside himself, he found the strength to continue and the words came again. "Tala was never afraid of anything. He took everything that BIOVOLT threw at him, all their torture and pain, and still defied them with every breath in his body. He did everything he could to protect us from harm because he was that kind of person." He paused. "We didn't deserve him. We did everything we could to make his life better, but there was nothing we could do." Bryan's fists clenched, the nails digging into his palms tearing bloody crescent moons. "I knew he was depressed and wanted to die, but there was nothing I could do. To seek help would only get Tala beaten, and we were no longer rooming together because Balcov was too afraid of what would happen." He laughed mirthlessly and the warmth of his breath steamed in the cold.

"Tala taught me to be defiant, to stand up for myself and never to lose who I was. Not to become their slave. He taught everyone at the Abbey about freedom, when he was the least free of us all. And we'll never forget him."  
His eyes locked with Kai's as he stood beside Rei. The half Russian was crying slightly, the tears on his face glistening in the light. Kai nodded for him to continue. Bryan drew in a deep breath.

"The thing Tala dreamed about was flying. He always wanted to be that free, being able to do what he wanted, being able to rise above it. He used to look up at the sky, and tell me quietly 'Brother, have you wondered what it would be like?'. And I think Tala could already fly. He was already rising above the way the world was. He was nobody's slave or soldier or experiment. He was just Tala. And we loved him for it." Bryan's voice cracked. Tears streamed down his face, chilling him.

Silently, Kai stepped forward, walking softly past his teammates toward the front to stand by his old friend. Bryan glanced at Kai, and the other boy looked back, understanding flowing through their eyes. Spencer and Ian likewise walked to the front. They stood together, huddled close, not out of cold, but of sorrow.

The man nodded silently and two men, wearing long black coats and scarves, began to lower the casket into the frozen ground.

Rei was silent, simply watching the human side of the supposedly icy team. Even Tyson and Max did not speak a word. The blonde's eyes were suspiciously wet and Tyson alternated between watching the front and staring at the ground.

"Goodbye, Tala", Bryan whispered softly in Russian as the dirt fell into the grave. Tala's face still flashed before his eyes. Tala, huddled into the corner of a dark alley, his blue eyes suspicious and frightened. Flash. Tala gently bandaging Bryan's back after a whipping. Flash. Tala taking a beating for Ian, the blood pouring down his back, but a placid expression on his face. Flash. Tala, the snow from his bitbeast whipping around him. Flash. Tala, his body sprawled out on the floor and an expression of peace on his pale, dead face. Something in Bryan cracked, and he broke down completely into tears, the water spilling from his eyes.

It was Kai who hugged him tightly. Bryan blinked, surprised, as Kai held him close. Spencer bowed his head and put an arm around Ian. The younger boy threw his arms around Kai as well as another shovelful of dirt covered Tala's body.

"We'll make it." Kai whispered to them, and to them alone, those who stood by the grave of their friend. "For Tala."

"Because he told us to." Ian continued softly.

"Because he wanted us to." Spencer said, his deeper voice quiet.

"To remember." Bryan finished.

**You like? Review. This one is supposed to be from Kai's perspective but I really can't stand him. Note that this set focuses more on Bryan. I do like him second best (after Tala) and he was the closest to Tala. I dislike how everyone makes Kai have been the closest to Tala. And Kai was/is not the team's leader. That's Tala. Period. Tala isn't second to Kai. Kai wouldn't be the mother hen. Much more in character for someone like Tala with a somewhat martyr-like personality. You know, battle with Garland and all…**


End file.
